Handbag assembly



Dec. 8, 1959 J. MIRKEN HANDBAG ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 23, 1957 INVENTOR. BUQTJ M/EKEA/ BY v- ATTORNE'XS United States Patent ions, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application Septemher2$, 1957, Serial No. 685,708

3 Claims. (Cl. '1'5028) This invention relates generally to improvements in the construction of womens handbags and the like As is well' known, women3s handbags now assume a wide variety of different types, each type having its own structural and functional characteristics. For example, there is the tote bag generally of ample proportions for containing relatively bulky objects. There is the relatively small, clutch bag adapted to be held in the users hand, and capable of. containing little more than the essentials of female personalia. Further, there is the commonly used, afternoon bag, purse, or pocketbook, generally of a size intermediate that of the tote bag and clutch bag.

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided a plurality of elements adapted to serve individually as the above-described types of handbags, and further capable of a coacting relationship when assembled in combination with each other to provide a bag of relatively large carrying capacity equal to that of a tote bag, and having the neatness and privacy of several pockets or separate storage spaces.

It'is'a' more particular object of the present invention to provideapair of handbags selectively adapted for use either individually or together to achieve all of the func tional characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph;

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a handbag construction having the advantageous characteristics noted. hereinbefore, which is extremely simple and durable in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured and sold at a' reasonable cost;

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of" parts, which will be" exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appendedclaims.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a front elevationallview showing an outer bag or tote bag of the" present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view showing, aninner hag of the present invention in its unfolded condition for use as an afternoon bag;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view showing the inner bag of Figure 2" in folded condition for use as a clutch bag or an evening bag;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view showing. the bags of Figures 1 and 2 in assembled" relation, being partly broken away for clarity of illustration;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is arr-exploded perspective view showing in greater detail a preferred" construction of bracket and suspension means for connecting the outer and inner bags in their assembled relation;

Figure 7 is a top-plan view showing the bracket and suspension means of" Figure 6 in" their cooperating condition'of use; and;

2,9 l 6 ,0 7 1 Patented Dec. 8, 1959 Figure 8 is a-perspective view showing. a slightly modified construction of bracket for connecting the outer and inner bags in their assembled relation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to Figure 1 thereof, the outer bag or tote bag illustrated therein is generally designated 10, and may include a laterally extending bottom Wall 11, see Figures 4 and 5, from the forward and rearward regions of which extend upstanding front and-rear walls 12 and 13: Thus, the front and rear walls 12- and 13 are located in forwardly and rearwardly' spaced-apart, facingrelation. Extending upward from opposite sides of the bottom wall 11 and connected between adjacent, facing side edge portions of the front and rear walls 12 and 13 are a pair of laterally spaced side walls 14.

It may be preferred-that the front and rear walls 12 and 13 be fabricated ofrelatively stiff, form-retaining I material, and that the side walls 14 be of flexible or foldable material. By this construction, the outer bag 10 may effectively retain its shape or form, while permitting. movement of the front and rear walls 12 and 1310,- ward and away from each other to' accommodate varying quantities of contents.

Connected to the upper region of the front wall 12, exteriorly thereof, are opposite ends of a carrying strap or loop 16, while a similar carrying strap or loop 17 has its opposite ends connected to the upper external region of the rear wall'13 v I Mounted on theinner side of each side wall 14, in the upper region thereof, is a bracket element 19. More specifically, in Figure 4 it may be observed that the bracket elements 19, which may be identical, are located in laterally spaced-apart, opposed relation, mounted on the inner surfaces of respective side walls 14 by rivets 20, or other suitable fastener means.

In Figure 6 the bracket element 19 is illustrated in greater detail as comprising a generally circular, approximately horizontal bottom wall 21', about the periphery of whichextends a generally upstanding, cylindrical wall 22. It may be observed that the wall 22 is formed in its laterally outer region contiguous to the adjacent side wall 14' with a through aperture 23 for receiving the rivet 205 In its laterally inward region, the wall 22 is formed with a generally vertically extending slot. 24-, which extends from the bottom wall vertically upward and opens upward through the upper edge of wall 22, while opening throughout its vertical extent from within the generally cylindrical wall 22 laterally inward into the interior of the tote bag 10.

It will now be appreciated that each bracket element 19' defines an upwardly opening socket or cup having a. bottom wall 21 and side wall 22. Further, the vertically extending slot 24' is defined in the space between a pair of outwardly bent vertically extending sections or flanges 25 of: the-wall 22. That is, the vertical wall sections 25 are bent outward away from each other to define in the space therebetween the vertically extending slot 24; Further, the upper portion 26 of the vertical wall. sections converge upwards toward each other to reduce the' width of the upper region of slot 24.

The handbag. 30 of Figure 2 may be fabricated of flexible material, including a front Wall 31, and a rear wall- 32, which walls are connected together along their lower and side edges to define a'bag of generally flat configuration; The upper regions of the front and" rear walls 31-, 32 of bag'30 are secured to a frame 33alfording easy opening and closing of the bag. More particularly, the frame 33 includes a pair of substantially identical front and rear frame members 34 and 35- of inverted generally U-shape, pivotally connected togetheij, and respectively secured to the front and rear bag walls 31 and 32. A suitable latch or catch 36 may be provided to releasably retain the frame members 34 and 35' in frame member 34, are a pair of suspension elements generally designated 40. That is, a pair of suspension elements 40 project laterally outward from opposite, upper regions of the bag 30. In the illustrated embodiment, each suspension element 40 projects laterally outward from a respective side of the front frame element 34, and includes a stem 41, and an enlarged head 42. When the bag 30 is arranged Within the bag 10, each suspension element 40 has its enlarged head 42 received in the adjacent socket or bracket 19, within the bracket wall 22, and has its stem 41 extending through the slot 24. As best seen in Figure 4, the enlarged suspension element heads 42 are received in their adjacent bracket elements 19, in engagement with the bottom Wall 21 thereof, so as to limit further downward movement of the inner bag 30 within the outer bag 10, and thereby suspend the inner bag within the outer bag. The inner bag 30 may only be removed from the outer bag by upward withdrawal of the inner bag to remove the enlarged heads 42 from the cylindrical Walls 22, and remove the stems 41 from the slots 24. As best seen in Figure 7, the stems 41 each engage snugly Within their adjacent slot 24, in the lower region thereof, so that upward withdrawal of the suspension elements 40 is resisted by the reduced or constricted upper slot region between the flange portions 26. However, by resilient deflection of the wall 22, the stems 41 may enter and exit through the reduced upper portions of slot 24.

In the assembled form of applicants invention, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, it will now be appreciated that the assembly defines a handbag of ample internal size, substantially equal to that of the tote bag 10 by itself. Further, the inner bag 30 within the outer bag 10 serves to define compartments or storage sections between the inner bag and the front and rear walls of the outer bag, in addition to the storage section within the inner bag.

Upon removal of the inner bag, from the outer bag, the latter may be employed as a conventional tote bag; and, the inner bag may be employed selectively as an afternoon bag of Figure 2, or a clutch bag of Figure 3. In the latter figure, the flexible bag 30 of Figure 2 has its upper region folded over its lower region to substantially halve the external size of the bag, for use as an evening bag or clutch bag.

In place of the bracket or brackets 19 may be sub stituted the slightly modified brackets 19a, seen in Figure 8. More specifically, the bracket 19a includes a generally rectangular, approximately horizontal bottom wall 2111, about the periphery of which extends a generally upstanding wall 22a, which is formed in its laterally outer region with a through aperture 23a corresponding to the aperture 23 of bracket 19. That is, the bracket 19a is adapted to be fastened on the inner side of a wall 14 by a rivet or fastener in the same manner as the brackets 19. In its laterally inward region, the Wall 2211 is formed with a generally vertically extending slot 24a, which extends from the bottom Wall 21a vertically upward and opens upward through the upper edge of wall 22a. That is, the slot 24a opens throughout its vertical extent from interiorly of the wall 22a laterally inward into the interior of the tote bag 10 When the bracket 19:: is substituted for the bracket 19. It may also be observed from Figure 8 that the vertically extending slot 2411 converges or tapers from its upper end toward its lower end, whereby a suspension element 40 with its head 42 received within the wall 22a may have its stem 41 frictionally wedged in the slot 244;. This construction has been found to prevent inadvertent removal of the suspension elements 40 from their respective sockets or cups 21a, 22a of the brackets 19a, while permitting deliberate removal therefrom.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a handbag construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects, and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

, What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an upwardly opening outer bag, bracket elements mounted in the upper region of said outer bag at opposite sides thereof, an inner upwardly opening bag removably located entirely within said outer bag, and external suspension members on said inner bag each detachably connected to a respective one of said bracket elements for removably suspending said inner bag within said outer bag, each of said bracket elements comprising an upwardly opening socket secured to a wall of said outer bag, each of said sockets being formed with an upwardly opening slot communicating laterally with the interior of the respective socket inward into the interior of said outer bag, and each of said suspension members comprising a laterally projecting stem having an enlarged head on its outer end, the enlarged head of each suspension member being removably insertable downward into a respective one of said bracket element sockets while the stem of each suspension member is inserted downward into the adjacent socket slot.

2. The combination according to claim 1, said inner bag having flexible walls and being foldable to a reduced size when removed from said outer bag, said outer bag having relatively stiff walls so as to be form retaining and contain said inner bag in its unfolded condition.

3. In combination, an outer bag having a bottom wall, relatively stiff front and rear walls extending upward from said bottom wall, and a pair of spaced flexible side walls extending upward from said bottom wall between said front and rear Walls; a bracket element mounted on the inner surface of each side wall in the upper region thereof; an inner upwardly opening bag of generally flat configuration arranged generally conformably within said outer bag with its front and rear walls respectively adjacent to the front and rear walls of said outer bag; a pair of external suspension members projecting laterally outward from opposite upper side regions of said inner bag for respective detachable connection to said bracket elements to removably suspend said inner bag within said outer bag, each of said bracket elements comprising an upwardly opening socket formed with an upwardly opening slot communicating laterally from the interior of the respective socket inward into the interior of said outer bag, and each of said suspension members comprising a laterally projecting stem having an enlarged headon its outer end, the enlarged head of each suspension member being removably insertable downward into a respective one of said bracket-element sockets while the stem of each suspension member is inserted downward into the adjacent socket slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 905,142 Bond Dec. 1, 1908 1,359,461 Luce Nov. 16, 1920 1,550,470 Tilden Aug. 18, 1925 1,752,683 Meagher Apr. 1, 1930 2,017,415 Lindy Oct. 15, 1935 2,239,648 Laubenstein Apr. 22, 1941 2,267,611 Laubenstein Dec. 23, 1941 

